Cultural tourism can be exhausting. You’ll spend a lot of time walking and your body will start to feel it; especially your legs! Some people even suffer from tired leg syndrome on these types of trips. However, we’ve got some tips for wandering around and enjoying the monuments without having to worry about it.
Don’t assume that tired legs only affect the elderly or those who are out of shape. It can occur in people of all ages if they don’t take the necessary precautions, as it’s a problem caused by slow movement, not by the intensity of the activity itself. Do you want to know more?
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Tips for avoiding tired legs when enjoying cultural tourism
Stay hydrated
It’s essential to drink plenty of water when enjoying cultural tourism. Water is fundamental for your muscles and body in general. When they don’t get as much water as they need, our musculature suffers and becomes weaker.
It’s always important to stay hydrated, but if you’re travelling in summer, it’s an absolute must. You’ll lose water and mineral salts through sweating.
Always wear comfy footwear
When enjoying some time away or going on holiday, we always try to look good. This means that many of us choose inadequate footwear for a trip around the history city centre. Historic areas tend to have narrow, cobbled streets of Granada and quite steep hills. Combine this with your heels or tight footwear and you’ll be more likely to be uncomfortable.
You should also wear comfy clothes made of flexible, natural materials. You’ll find it easier to move around, your body temperature will be just right and your blood will have improved circulation.
Avoid heavy meals
Tasting the local cuisine is always a big part of our holiday. Popular cuisine is usually made up of quite heavy dishes which slows down our digestion and puts our blood circulation at risk. It’s best to tuck into more vegetables and salads while away and even pop a piece of fruit into your backpack or bag. We’d recommend you take a banana as it’s high in potassium and natural sugars, both of which are perfect for your muscles. It’s a convenient option as it’s not messy and doesn’t get damaged on your travels.
Top the day off with a massage and a cold shower
A cold shower is a great idea, but if that’s not for you, we’d recommend a leg massage while dousing them in cold water. This activates your blood circulation and reduces that heavy feeling, little by little.
After the massage, put your feet up to increase the benefits.
Get at least 8 hours sleep to avoid tired legs
If you’re visiting a city like Granada, you’ll probably be tempted to pack everything into one day. At CICERONE, we think it’s best to enjoy each visit, little by little. Rushing means you won’t be able to appreciate and understand the significance of the monuments in our beautiful city. Often, even the cobbled streets you walk along can be considered a monument in themselves.
Keeping this in mind, while enjoying cultural tourism we’d recommend you rest the nights before your visits. You should get a good, reparative sleep to make sure you’re in top shape.
Choose a private guide or Premium small group
As we mentioned earlier, tired legs are a result of walking slowly whilst on a visit. The best thing you can do is to walk at a steady pace. As Gertrude Stein said, “when in a museum, walk slowly but keep walking”.
In order to do this, you’ll need to control your route, something that never happens in a crowd. In this case, the guide leads while everyone else tries to catch a word here and there over the many conversations going on at the same time. If you choose your private guide or a premium small group, you won’t even have to think about this. This type of tour allows you to interact with your guide, tell them what interests you and what doesn’t… You’re the leaders. Get to know this private tour of the Albaicín and Sacromonte or find out about our Private Tour in Granada.
You’ll also be able to stop as and when you need to. At CICERONE, the guides tend to stop at various points if you need a quick rest.
Whenever you need to, just let us know and we’ll find a place where you can rest and even enjoy a stunning view while you reenergise.
Discovering the cultural and historic heritage in a city is a treat, especially when you do everything required to make sure you’re as physically well as possible during your trips. You only need to look after your muscles, rest well and choose guided tours which adapt to you and your needs.
